1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverted microscope which carries out, for example, a transmitted-light illumination observation by transmitting illumination light through a specimen from the upside.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, as microscopes which are used for the cell research of biology and medicine, an inverted microscope has been used which carries out a transmitted-light illumination observation by transmitting illumination light through a specimen from the upside.
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating an inverted microscope equipped with a transmitted-light illumination device of the related art. An inverted microscope 200 illustrated in FIG. 16 includes a stage 50 which places a specimen S of an observation subject thereon, a microscope body 52 which includes a focusing operation unit 521 for moving an objective lens 51 up and down, and a transmitted-light illumination device 53 which carries out a transmitted-light illumination. The transmitted-light illumination device 53 includes an illumination support column 54 which extends from the microscope body 52 in the vertical direction, an illumination arm portion 55 which extends in the substantially horizontal direction from the upside of the illumination support column 54 toward the optical axis (hereinafter, referred to as an optical axis N10) of the objective lens 51, a lamp housing 56 which is detachably attached to one end of the illumination arm portion 55 and includes a light source 561 for emitting illumination light to be irradiated to the specimen S, a condenser unit 57 which includes at least a condenser 571, and a condenser holder 572 which holds the condenser unit 57 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the illumination support column 54. Further, the inverted microscope 200 includes a lens barrel 58 which is provided on the microscope body 52 and is mounted with an ocular 581.
The illumination support column 54 includes a condenser moving mechanism 59 which is capable of moving the condenser holder 572 up and down along the optical axis N10. The condenser moving mechanism 59 is realized by, for example, the combination of a rack and a pinion, and includes a condenser focusing operation unit 591 which moves the condenser 571 up and down.
The illumination arm portion 55 includes a lens 551 which is provided on an optical axis N20 of the light source 561, a reflection mirror 552, and a field stop 553. Note that, the optical axis N20 is perpendicular to the optical axis N10. Further, the front surface of the illumination arm portion 55 is equipped with a field stop operation unit 554 capable of adjusting the field stop diameter of the field stop 553.
The light which is emitted from the light source 561 passes through the lens 551, the reflection mirror 552, and the field stop 553 arranged in the illumination arm portion 55, passes through the condenser 571, and is irradiated to the specimen S. The observation image which is obtained from the specimen S is increased or decreased in size by the objective lens 51, and is formed by an observation optical system (not illustrated). An observer observes the formed observation image through the ocular 581 which is mounted on the lens barrel 58.
By using the inverted microscope 200 having the above-described configuration, for example, the specimen image based on the light reflected from the specimen S may be observed (for example, see Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 06-017939 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-218683).